Interesting facts about Irish terriers

The Irish terrier is one of many breeds of terrier.

It is considered one of the oldest terrier breeds.

The Irish Terrier has bags of charm and character. They are brave, energetic, and determined and tend to be very people-orientated.

The Irish Terrier is full of life, but not hyperactive – it should be able to relax inside the house and be roused to full activity level quickly.

They enjoy training, new tasks are easily mastered with food and toys working equally well as motivation. Irish terriers have less of an eagerness to please people than some other breeds but have mental ability and enjoy puzzle solving.

Irish Terriers have a good nose and can learn to track either animal or human scent. Many Irish Terriers enjoy Lure Coursing, although they are not eligible for competition as sight hounds are. In Finland one Irish Terrier is a qualified Rescue Dog specialising at Sea Rescue.

The Irish terrier is a sturdily built dog with racier lines than those of other terriers. Its long, relatively narrow head is usually accented by a short beard. It stands about 46 cm (18 inches), weighs 11 to 12 kg (25 to 27 pounds).

The Irish Terrier is coloured golden red, red wheaten, or wheaten. Dark red is often mistaken as the only correct colour, possibly because wheaten coats are often of worse quality. As with many other solid-coloured breeds, a small patch of white is allowed on the chest. No white should appear elsewhere. As an Irish Terrier grows older, grey hair may appear here and there.

The average lifespan of the Irish Terrier is 12 to 15 years.

The breed’s origin is not known. It is believed to have descended from the black and tan terrier-type dogs of Britain and Ireland, just like the Kerry Blue and Irish Soft-haired Wheaten Terriers in Ireland or the Welsh, Lakeland and Scottish Terriers in Great Britain. There is also conjecture that the breed may share bloodlines with the Irish Wolfhound.

The breed was used in the country farms and estates in Ireland for hundreds of years. Their all-purpose nature meant they were unflinching ratters, loyal watchdogs, guardians of livestock, and even hunting companions.

The Irish Terrier became very popular in England during the late 1800’s due to it being an excellent ratters.

The Dublin dog show in 1873 was the first to provide a separate class for Irish Terriers.

The first breed club was set up in Dublin in 1879. Irish Terriers were the first members of the terrier group to be recognised by the English Kennel Club as a native Irish Breed – this happened just before the end of the 19th century. The first Irish Terriers were taken to the US in the late nineteenth century and quickly became somewhat popular.

By the 1880s, Irish Terriers were the fourth most popular breed in Ireland and Britain.

The Irish Terriers’ loyalty and tenacity meant they were selected to deliver messages, act as sentinels, and rid camps of vermin during World War I. Their renowned bravery earned them the nickname of Daredevils.

After World War II, the breeding of Irish Terriers slowed dramatically and their popularity dipped. To this day, though, the breed has a devoted following who fall for their feisty, independent, dynamic, and loyal
characteristics.

Jack London’s books Jerry of the Islands and Michael, Brother of Jerry were about Irish Terriers that, according to the bloodlines recorded in the beginning of the book, may actually have lived.

William Wordsworth’s poem “Fidelity” was written after the death of Charles Gough, who fell from Striding Edge, Helvellyn in 1805. His body found below Red Tarn some months later by a shepherd, his body still
being guarded by his Irish Terrier, Foxey. Nearby were discovered the bones of her dead puppies.

The University of Notre Dame used an Irish Terrier as its mascot until the 1960s when it was replaced by the Notre Dame Leprechaun. The dogs had various names, the latest of which was Clashmore Mike. Two Irish Terriers are depicted in limestone on the east elevation of Alumni Hall.

Nicknamed the “daredevil,” it has earned the reputation of being adaptable, loyal, spirited, and recklessly courageous.

The average price of an Irish Terrier pup ranges from $1,500 – $2,500 and up depending on the breeder, the area you are in, and the linage of the pups.